During one week in July, two classes from the Romain Rolland Gymnasium in Berlin had the opportunity to visit China for their annual school trip.

During our stay we got to see Beijing, Taiyuan and the ancient city of Pingyao. All three cities were really impressive, and we had a lot fun exploring and getting in touch with the Chinese culture and people.

Our trip was planned by the Freie Universität Berlin, the Beijing University and the Shanxi University. The universities prepared us for our trip before we even boarded the plane, giving us an introduction to Chinese culture at the Konfuzius Institute in Berlin and made sure that we were able to visit important landmarks and attractions once we were in China.

At the day of our arrival we were greeted by the students and employees of the Peking University and had the chance to visit the chemistry lab. We also learned about the “Kunqu opera” and the traditional Chinese instrument “Guqin”. Some students got to try and play the Guqin themselves.

After a long first day we checked into our hotel and got some rest, to be well prepared for another day in the Beijing heat.

On our second day we were back at the university where we participated in a calligraphy workshop and learned how to write some words in Chinese calligraphy. Some students that exceeded the calligraphy teachers’ expectations even received a small prize! Afterwards we got to do some souvenir shopping and ate dinner outside of our hotel, indulging in the restaurant scene in Beijing.

After spending two days at the university, the weekend was reserved for visiting two of the numerous landmarks that China has to offer: The forbidden City and the Great Wall of China.

On Saturday we spent the morning and early afternoon at the Forbidden City, where our guide talked to us about the history and culture behind the impressive buildings. We learned about the different dynasties that ruled in China and the rules and expectations Chinese royals had to conform to. We hiked up to a viewpoint where we got a prime view of the Forbidden City.

 After freshening up in the hotel we headed out to Qianmen Street, where we had another chance to browse through souvenir shops and more traditional Chinese stores.

Our visit of the Great Wall of China was an unforgettable experience for all of us. Seeing one of the seven wonders of the world with your own eyes, in a country so far away from home was truly amazing. On our hike to the Great Wall we could prepare for all the steps that we would have to climb up, once we reached the Wall 😉 

The mountains surrounding the Great Wall and the nature in general was amazing to see and a huge difference to the skyline of Beijing, to which we were used to by now. The day trip to the Great Wall was a refreshing change of scenery and absolutely mesmerizing.

After yet another trip to a shopping mall and eating dinner, we arrived back at the hotel, where we had to pack our bags, because we were already leaving Beijing the following day!

Before our departure we visited the last landmark on our Beijing itinerary: The Temple of Heaven. We strolled through the park and even enjoyed a short boat tour across the lake.

Our time in Beijing flew by and after what had felt like only 1 day, we were standing at the Beijing Fengtai Railway Station, ready to head out to Taiyuan.

After less than 4 hours in the highspeed train, we arrived in Taiyuan, where we were greeted by a new guide, who would be coordinating our stay in Taiyuan. We got to settle in and after dinner we could decide how we would like to spend the rest of our evening.

On Tuesday we travelled by bus to the ancient city of Pingyao, a city that bears witness to the evolution of Chinese urban planning and commercial history, as an important hub for commerce, finance and administration.

While visiting an old bank building, we got an insight into the bank tellers and managers day-to-day life in ancient times.

On the next day, we visited the Mengshan-Buddha, one of the tallest Buddha statues in China. The hike up to the Buddha statue, that is built into the mountain, was really nice. We walked through a huge park and the scenery was amazing. We learned about Buddhism and religion/spirituality in China in general.

Soon after, our final evening in China began, we had a last chance to go out and explore the city by ourselves and once again, we had to start packing our bags.

On our last day we visited the Shanxi University, where we got to see the library and a small collection of traditional art. We also saw where the students could sit down and prepare for their exams.

Afterwards we toured a vinegar brewery. The process of vinegar being made was really interesting to learn about, as it is something most of us never really thought about. The guide of the brewery showed us all the different steps to brewing vinegar, and how everything influences the taste of the vinegar.

After we walked through a small passage filled with vinegar steam, designed to help keep your immune system strong and resistant, we were offered some vinegar to taste.

What most of us didn’t know, is that in Chinese culture, vinegar is an important remedy, where every kind serves a different purpose.

Our time in Taiyuan quickly came to an end and it was time to make our way back to Beijing, where we boarded our plane back to Berlin.

I speak for all of us when I say, that I’m very grateful to have had the chance to visit China and get to know a completely different culture and enjoy a beautiful scenery. We had a great time and the diverse program made sure that we were never bored during the duration of our stay. If we get the chance to visit China again, we’d certainly say yes!

Hier der gesamte Bericht zum Downlaod.